Background Psilocybin-assisted therapy is continuing to show significant positive effects for palliative cancer patients, both in reducing symptoms and improving one’s sense of hope and meaning. Most research has focused on individual therapy models, limiting access and overlooking potential community-based benefits. Methods This qualitative study describes the results of patients experiencing...
Ritual is a cultural-psychological technology that facilitates transitions by establishing safety, trust, and shared meaning. In psychedelic therapy, ritual remains underdeveloped despite the heightened vulnerability and suggestibility inherent in non-ordinary states. Without clear frameworks, ritual applications can become prescriptive or ethically problematic—particularly when elements are...
Intimate partner violence (IPV) poses a significant medical concern, predominantly affecting females. IPV-related brain injuries (IPV-BI), such as mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) and non-fatal strangulation (NFS), sustained during physical attacks are common and often repetitive. Chronic neurobehavioral sequalae from IPV-BI are associated with neuroinflammation and impaired neuroplasticity,...
Serotonergic psychedelics are re-emerging as therapeutic candidates across psychiatry, particularly for treatment-resistant depression. Their rapid and sustained antidepressant effects, alongside evidence for neuroplastic, dopaminergic, and glutamatergic modulation, have prompted interest in whether they could address depressive and negative symptoms in schizophrenia spectrum disorders (SSDs)....
Firefighters are exposed to a disproportionately high number of traumatic incidents and, thus, display elevated rates of trauma-related mental health disorders, with the reported average PTSD prevalence being 7.3% in firefighters vs 1.3-3.5% in the general populationOftentimes, conventional treatments demonstrate limited efficacy. Ketamine-assisted therapy (KAT) has recently arisen with...
Indigenous Peoples have cultivated and protected natural psychoactive medicines through ceremony, kinship, and spiritual responsibility across generations, yet their long-standing contributions have often been marginalized through extractive research, commercialization, and policy exclusion. It is Indigenous communities that have stewarded and gained expertise working with psychoactive...
Psilocybin-assisted therapy (PAT) is an emerging intervention that combines the administration of psilocybin with structured psychological support to address profound psychological, emotional, and existential distress. Central to this model is the recognition that many forms of suffering-particularly at end of life-are relational in nature and require relational forms of healing. It is our...
The Apollo wearable device (wrist or ankle) is an investigational device which provides touch therapy with silent vibrations that may help individuals reduce the symptoms of stress such as difficulty breathing, sleeping or focusing on tasks. Positive feedback from a mental health treatment program that uses ketamine-assisted therapy as a treatment adjunct inspired researchers to assess the...
OBJECTIVE: Many first responders deal with mental health challenges due to significant work-related stress. Ketamine-assisted therapy (KAT) has been shown to alleviate the symptoms and improve the lives of those living with PTSD. This qualitative case study explores the impacts of KAT on the firefighters beyond the initial alleviation of their PTSD symptoms. METHODS: Six firefighters who were...
Repeated self-administration of small doses of psychedelics, known as microdosing, has been associated with perceived improvements in psychological functioning. However, few studies have examined effects at the daily level. Drawing on data from a naturalistic, prospective, international survey of adults who microdose (N = 1435), we assessed self-reported within-person changes between...
RTT-KaT offers a structured, scalable, evidence-informed, and culturally responsive model that bridges clinical safety with both Western and Indigenous knowledge systems. A longitudinal follow-up study is currently underway to evaluate long-term impact and guide future implementations.
Firefighters display elevated risk for diagnoses of mental health illnesses. Psychedelic-assisted therapies show promise in the treatment of clinically challenging conditions. This observational case series analyzed data from firefighters with mental health diagnoses who participated in a 12-week ketamine-assisted group therapy treatment plan. Questionnaire scores (Generalized Anxiety Disorder...
Abstract Interest in psychedelic research in the West is surging, however, clinical trials have almost exclusively studied synthetic compounds such as MDMA, ketamine, DMT, LSD, ibogaine, and psilocybin. To date, few clinical trials have utilized whole mushroom/plant material like Psilocybe mushrooms, Iboga, or Ayahuasca. Individuals participating in the Roots To Thrive Psilocybin-Assisted...
Introduction: This perspective on experiential training delves into the potential benefits and counterarguments related to integrating firsthand experience of psychedelic-assisted therapy (PaT) to enhance the competency of trainees. The Case for Experiential Training as a Core PaT Competency: Experiential training serves a dual purpose: promoting therapists' mental wellness and refining their...
Abstract Background Chronic pain is a major cause of suffering and disability and is often associated with psychiatric complications. Current treatments carry the risk of severe side effects and may lead to limited or no relief at all in a relevant portion of this patient population. Preliminary evidence suggests that classical psychedelics (e.g. LSD and psilocybin) may have analgesic effects...
Authors and Affiliations Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, Kelowna, BC, Canada Joseph M. Rootman & Zach Walsh Quantified Citizen Technologies Inc., Vancouver, BC, Canada Maggie Kiraga, Kalin Harvey & Eesmyal Santos-Brault Department of Family Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada Pamela Kryskow Fungi Perfecti, LLC, MycoMedica Life Sciences,...
Although several studies and reports have shown the potential analgesic use of serotonergic psychedelics in cancer pain, phantom limb pain and cluster headache, evidence supporting their use for chronic pain is still limited. The past years have seen a considerable renewal of interest toward the therapeutic use of these compounds for mood disorders, resulting in a marked increase in the number...
Abstract Psilocybin microdosing involves repeated self-administration of mushrooms containing psilocybin at doses small enough to not impact regular functioning. Microdose practices are diverse and include combining psilocybin with substances such as lion’s mane mushrooms (Hericium erinaceus; HE) and niacin (vitamin-B3). Public uptake of microdosing has outpaced evidence, mandating further...
Amid an international pandemic and a worsening mental health crisis, ketamine-assisted therapy is emerging as a promising solution for those deemed “treatment resistant.” Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression are on the rise, with accelerating direct (e.g., burden of suffering) and indirect (e.g., disability/role impairment and impact on family) costs. Psychedelic-assisted...
Corrigendum: A Cohort-Based Case Report: The Impact of Ketamine-Assisted Therapy Embedded in a Community of Practice Framework for Healthcare Providers with PTSD and DepressionError in Figure/TableIn the published article, there was an error in Figure 2 as published. The PTSD label on the legend that is imbedded in the figure was on the legend component of the figure was posted on the anxiety...
Abstract The use of psychedelic substances at sub-sensorium ‘ microdoses’, has gained popular academic interest for reported positive effects on wellness and cognition. The present study describes microdosing practices, motivations and mental health among a sample of self-selected microdosers ( n = 4050) and non-microdosers ( n = 4653) via a mobile application. Psilocybin was the most commonly...
BACKGROUND Positive feedback from a mental health treatment program that uses treatment adjuncts inspired researchers to assess the potential role of the Apollo Neuro device in mental health outcomes. OBJECTIVE To assess the impact of the Apollo Neuro device on anxiety levels in a ketamine-assisted therapy treatment program, comparing those using the device with those not using the device....